Water inlet valve for tanks



y 1941- D. SHERWOOD 2,247,525

WATER INLET VALVE FOR TANKS Filed 001.. 14. 1937 Zmnentor ,DQ V/c/She/Wood Patented July 1, 1941 WATER INLET VALVE FOR TANKS DavidSherwood, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Sherwood Brass Works, Detroit,Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application October 14, 1937, SerialNo. 168,859

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a water inlet of the float controlledtype. It is particularly adapted for controlling the supply of waterinto a tank.

As is known to the art to which this invention I pertains, it isimpossible to entirely prevent the formation of partial vacuums in watersupply lines and the only known reliable method of preventing backsiphonage is to control the vacuum at each individual plumbing fixturewhere there is possibility of back siphonage so that when a partialvacuum occurs in a supply lin no pollutional matter can be drawn intothe supply line through a submerged opening in the fixture. The primaryobject of the present invention is to provide a valve or fixture of thecharacter above referred to, wherein the outlet valve is submerged, andembodying vacuum breaking means which functions in the presence of apartial vacuum in the supply line to admit air into the supply line todissipate the partial vacuum. Back siphonage, by drawing water throughthe submerged fixture outlet to relieve the partial vacuum is thus madeimpossible.

In a device of the character of this invention if it is essential thatit be silent as well as reliable in operation, and another object of theinvention is to provide a vacuum breaking means which is silent andentirely reliable in operation, both as to the possibility of becominginoperative due to becoming clogged and as to its capacity for admittingair at a rate sufficient to dissipate the vacuum in a very short periodof time. This object is accomplished by constructing the device with anunrestricted air opening and so that it will not spit water.Unrestricted air entrance is highly important, particularly in thepresence of a large volume of piping because the length of time must bevery short in order that the partial vacuum be dissipated so rapidlythat it cannot act with respect to the submerged fixture outlet to drawwater therethrough.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fixture of the abovementioned type embodying a vacuum breaking means which normally remainsopen and which closes automatically when conditions are normal due toimpingement of water flowing through the fixture thereagainst. Thevacuum breaking valve is constructed whereby gravity holds it open whenno flow is present, and the flow of water through the fixture forces itto its closed position. The vacuum breaking valve is positioned abovethe level of the water in which the fixture outlet is submerged and whenit is open it is impossible to siphon water through the submergedoutlet. I I

With the above and other ends in View the invention is more fullydescribed with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1is a vertical section of a tank, showing in elevation the fixture forcontrolling the water supply thereto;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the fixture;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the fixture body, and

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 44 -of Fig. 2. I

Like characters of reference are employed throughout to designatecorresponding parts.

The numeral I designates a conventional flushing tank having an outletpipe 2, an overflow pipe 3, and a valve 4 for controlling the outletpipe. Because the type of valve shown at 4 and the means for operatingthe same are already well known in the art the operating means has notbeen shown here.

A water supply pipe 5 extends upwardly through the bottom of the tank Iand has a valve body 6 mounted upon its upper end. Within the valve body6 is a valve seat 1 and a valve 8 which is adapted to seat thereupon.The valve 8 is moved into and out of contact with the seat 1 by apivoted fitting which is actuated by the float ID on the end of the rodII. This structure is already known to the art, being shown in priorPatent 1,389,907, issued September 6, 1921.

Within the valve body 6 is a vertically directed conduit I2 to whichwater is supplied from the supply pipe 5 through a passage l3 when thevalve 8 is unseated. Directly above the open end of the conduit I2 is ascrewthreaded opening I4 receiving a valve seat member I5. A disk valvei8 is mounted upon a pin I1 which is slidably mounted in a supportingmember I8 in the valve seat member I5. The conduit I2 opens into achamber l3 from which the outlet pipe 20 extends downwardly into thetank I to a point adjacent the bottom thereof.

When the valve 8 is unseated the water flowing through the conduit I2impinges against the valve disk I6 and moves it vertically to seat itagainst the valve seat I5. The water then discharges from the chamber I9through the outlet pipe Zil. In the event a partial vacuum exists in thesupply pipe when the valve 8 is unseated and the lower end of the outletpipe 20 is submerged atmospheric air passes through the valve fitting I5and the conduit !2-, which is above the top of the overflow pipe 3, todissipate the vacuum.

thereby making it impossible for water to be drawn into the inlet pipefrom the outlet pipe 20.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed it will be understood that various changes may be made withinthe scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit ofthe invention and such changes are contemplated.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, a hollow valve body having anoutlet chamber and having an air vent leading out of the upper end ofsaid chamber to outside atmosphere, an inlet duct extending transverselyinto said chamber below said vent, said inlet duct turning upward withinsaid chamber and having an opening directed upwardly toward and inspaced relation to said vent, a pressure responsive valve to controlsaid vent and interposed between said inlet opening and said vent, astem for said valve and extending vertically 'upward and projectingexternally of said casing, means slidably receiving and guiding saidstem, said means and said stem having cooperating stop means to limitdownward movement of said valve to a position slightly spaced from andabove said inlet.

2. In a device of the character described, a hollow body having a topwall provided with an opening therethrough, a tubular fitting secured insaid opening and at its lower end having a downwardly facing seat withinsaid hollow body, said fitting at its upper end being open for escape ofair and overflow of water, an inlet duct integral with said body, saidduct extending transversely within said body and substantially centrallythereof turning upwardly and having a water outlet facing toward andaligning with said air vent, an outlet below and in alignment with saidair vent, a pin slidably supported by said fitting centrally thereof,and a pressure responsive disc valve carried by said pin to control saidair vent, said pin having a stop to limit downward movement of saidvalve to within close proximity of the water outlet.

3. In a device of theocharacter described, a hollow body having a topwall provided with an opening therethrough, a removable member partlyclosing said opening and having an opening therethrough providing a ventcommunicating with said body, said second-named opening being providedfor escape of air and overflow of water, an inlet duct integral withsaid body, said duct extending transversely within said body andsubstantially centrally thereof turning upwardly and having a wateroutlet facing toward and substantially in alignment with saidsecond-named opening, an outlet below and substantially in alignmentwith said second-named opening, a valve member movable upwardly bywaterpressure acting thereagainst for substantially closing said second-namedopening and movable downwardly by gravity upon decrease in waterpressure acting thereagainst, and means operable to limit downwardmovement of said valve member to space said DAVID SHERWOOD.

